I spent a large portion of my life as a “people pleaser”. These are people who try to make every situation better and they often compensate their own well-being to make others more comfortable even if it means being uncomfortable. People who fall victim to bullies fall short of this. They take the hits because it either “feels” like it’s the only way they will fit in or they take hits because it’s easier than sticking up to it.

The thing is……. whether or not you ever think you were a victim of it in your past you 100% have to be aware of it in your future.

You have to recognize this when it doesn’t feel right either for you or someone near you. You have to be ready to get back up because the punches hurt. Some punches take a little longer to recover from. On the road, in the workplace, in your home, and sometimes when you thought you were in a safe enough place that it couldn’t happen…..

And this is your permission to pause. Every. Damn. Time.

You have to learn to see it, sit with it, and then go back out there saying YES to what is ok for YOU. Not for them or anyone else. You will make mistakes. You will be sad.

You may not even know which way to turn.

So pause.

Give yourself time to do what is best for YOU.

And this is perhaps my biggest take away. If you don’t give yourself the time and space to sit in that empty hole, don’t be surprised when life puts you there without notice.

It is inevitable.

My dad always used to say the only guarantee we have in life is death.

It’s EASTER. Society says you should “do this” and we should “do that” but guess what? You can also pause and shed ugly tears too.

It’s OK.

It takes courage to figure it out and to not just roll with the punches or pretend that they don’t exist. They WILL EXIST and you CAN get up…….and if you work on this as often as they roll you WILL get up….. every time.

xo